Document-cover.



.- No. 629,60I. Patented July 25, I899. c. u. POPE.

DOCUMENT COVER.

(Application filed Oct. 22, 1898.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

llllllllllllIIIIIIIIIIllIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII '77ilnessas: 170 872-5077 No. 629,60I.

(No Model.)

Patentefl July 25, I899. C. H. POPE.

DOCUMENT COVER.

(Application filed Oct. 22, 1898.)

2 Sheets-Shoal.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. POPE, or MOLINE, ILLINOIS.

DOCUMENT-COVER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 629,601, dated July 25, 1899-.

Application filed October 22, 1898, Serial No. 694,330. (No model.)

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that LOHARLEs H. PoPE,a citi zen of the United States, and a resident of Moline, county of Rock Island, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Document-Covers; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to covers for legal, commercial, and documentary papers; and it consists, substantially, in such features of improvement as will hereinafter be more particularly described.

In arranging or assembling manuscripts and legal,com mercia1,and other documentary papers consisting of a number of sheets it is usual toapply to the under side of the sheets a backing or cover of suitable material which is generally of a slightly-greater dimension than the sheets and which is long enough to permit a portion of the same to be folded over the sheets at the upper edge, so as to form a strengthener or reinforce, through which and the upper margins of the sheets some form of clip or fastener is inserted. In other cases the backing or cover employed is of substantially equal dimensions with the sheets, and the clips or fasteners are applied without first folding the cover over the edge of the sheets; but in either case the purpose of the cover is to protect the documents or papers from dust and injury after the same are folded in the usual manner and placed away for future reference or inspection. 7

It is well known that when sheets of paper are folded together one or more timesas,for instance,in the manner of folding legal and commercial documents or files-the tendency of the sheets is to unfold or spring back at the folds as soon as they are relieved of pressure, and this tendency is noticeably greater with every increase in the number of sheets employed as well as with every additional fold thereto. This tendency to unfold renders it inconvenient to handle the papers, and it is practically impossible to arrange a number of folded documents together in a stack or pile without employing a weight or other means to keep them in place. WVith single documents or papers also it is frequently necessary to employ rubber bands or pieces of cord or tape for holding the folded portions together. The said tendency of the document to spring apart or partially unfold itself is also a great disadvantage when preparing the document for transmission through the mails in an ordinary envelop or wrapper, and it is frequently necessary to tie or clamp the folded portions together, so as not to break the seal of the envelop, or else to employ an additional sealto insure retention of the document. Other disadvantages of the old form of backing or cover could be pointed out, but it is thought unnecessary to do so from what has aleady been stated.

The object of my invention is to overcome the disadvantages above mentioned and to provide a combined backing and cover for legal and commercial documents or papers which when folded with the document and secured in the manner to be described serves to maintain the whole in a flattened folded condition for convenience in handling or filing away.

A further object is to provide a document cover or backing which is available both as afile wrapper or jacket and as an envelop or wrapper for mailing purposes and which in either case is readily unfolded with the document without in any manner destroying its capacity for reuse.

Further objects are to hold the papers in a folded condition without the use of string, tape, or rubber bands, the cover itself performing this office and leaving the folded papers in more convenient shape for handling or to be filed than if tied in the old way; also, to form a lock-fastening adapted to a document cover or envelop which will permit the same to receive the handling and treatment ordinarily accorded to mail-packages without injury to its contents.

The above and additional objects are attained by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view of a blank from which my document-cover is formed, the same being intended to illustrate the manner ,of forming the flap, which is folded downto forn'ra reinforce for the edge of the tongue'and the view of the cover complete, the tongue-reinforcing flap being folded down and secured to the tongue and showing also the stiffener or protecting-reinforce for the upper edges of the sheets. Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 1 of a slightlydifferent form of cover, the

, tongue not having any reinforcing-flap in this form and the protecting-stiffener for the upper edge of the sheets being cut out of the blank itself instead of being separate from the blank and secured thereto, as in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a similar view to Fig. 3, showing the same form of cover with the paper sheets in place and secured to the same. Fig. 5 is a view of this form of cover when closed.

My present invention is capable of many different embodiments, but it has especial reference to the means for fastening or securing the cover when folded and also to the means for reinforcing or strengthening the upper margin or edge of the documen t-sheets. In the present instance I may employ any suitable devices for attaching or securing the document-sheets together and to the cover. I prefer, however, to use ordinary MeGill fasteners or staples, as shown in the drawings, and in another application of even date herewith and having Serial No. 694,331 I have shown, described, and claimed substantially the same form of cover embodying special means for uniting or fastening the sheets and cover together irrespective of the means employed for looking or securin g the folded cover in the desired flattened condition around the document.

In the accompanying drawings, A in all the figures represents my improved document back and cover as an'entirety. It is made from any suitable flexible material, such as ordinary heavy Manila paper, from which filejackets or covers are usually made, or, if preferred, the same can be made from other kinds of paper having a good writing-surface on one side to constitute the outer or exposed side of the cover, and, if desired, the inner surface of the cover can have some thin strengthening fabric applied thereto, as is intended to be shown in Figs. 3 and 4 by the hatching lines; but for all ordinary purposes for which the same is used, as well as to lessen as much as possible the expense of material I propose to make the cover of paper simply, as contemplated in the other figures, and then to properly reinforce such parts or portions thereof as are most subject to wear and handling.

I will first describe the means for lockin g or securing the cover in its folded flattened condition and will then proceed to describe the other features of the invention. As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, I make the cover of slightlygreater dimensions than the document-sheets a, so as to leave a slightly-projecting edge 12 all around to protect the edges of said sheets, and preferably I form or provide said cover at its upper part with an extension B, which when the cover is properly folded with the document is turned down or folded inward at or about the dotted line 0 and constitutes a folding flap for closing the folded portions at the meeting edges thereof similarly to the closing-flap of an ordinary envelop or wrapper. In order to counteract the resilient tendency of the folded portions of the cover to spring apart or unfold themselves, it is necessary to fasten or secure the flap in some suitable manner and ina way. to be readily released or unfastened, so as to enable the document and cover to be unfolded whenever it is desired to examine or inspect the papers. Different means can be employed for this pur pose; but for the purposes of transmission through the mails,where the documentis subject to rough handlingor usage, it is desirable to employ some means-having an interlocking connection with the cover for absolutely preventing the same from coming open or working loose. This I accomplish by providing means for looking or engaging the tongue after insert-ing the same in the slit of the cover. Thus, as shown in all the figures, I form in one of the side edges of the tongue D an angular notch, forming a shoulder e, and the other edge f thereof is left, preferably, straight,while the end of the tongue is formed with two beveled or inclined edges g g, which form facilitates insertion of the tongue and is for another purpose, presently to be described. Formed in the body of the cover A at a convenient point to receive the tongue 1) after folding the cover are two slits or openings 1 and 2, the one occupying the uppermost position when the cover is open and the other occupying such position when the cover is folded, as shown in Fig. 5. The edges of each of said slits can be suit-ably reinforced, if desired. The end 3 of the slit 1 is substantially in line with the deepest point of the notch e, and the opposite end 4 extends to a point a little to one side of the edgefof the tongue on the opposite side from the notch. The end 5 of the slit 2 is substantially even with end 4- of the slit 1, while the end 6 of said slit 2 is extended beyond the extremity 3 of the slit 1 for a purpose to be described.

\Vhen the cover is folded, as in Fig. 5, the relative positions of the slits therein are reversed, as explained, and to fasten the closing-tlap B in place the tongue D is passed into the slit 2 and pushed inward until its end emerges from the slit After a small portion of the pointed or beveled end of the tongue has emerged from said slit 1 the beveled or inclined edge g thereof begins to ride upon the lower curved edge 8 of said slit, at the end or extremity 3 of the latter, and the tongue is partially twisted or deflected slightly to one side until the shoulder 0 therein passes beyond the edge of the slit, whereupon the tongue springs back, flattens out, and the shoulder a and edge 3 of the slit become interlocked in such manner as to effectively secure the cover around the document. The edges 8 and 9 of the slits 1 and 2 are curved, as shown, to facilitate the passage of the end of the tongue.

As a means of strengthening the tongue I prefer to reinforce the same at the edge or portion where most of the wear and strain take place; but of course it will be understood that I can reinforce the same throughout, if desired. In Figs. 1 and 2 I form with the tongue at the time of cutting out the cover an integral flap n, which comprises a portion 0 about one-half as wide as the tongue, and a portion 10, extending downwardly substantially at right angles thereto. A suitable adhesive is applied to that side of the flap appearing in Fig. 1, and it is then turned-or folded down on the tongue at the dotted line y, Fig. 1, so as to form the reinforce G; (Shown completed in Fig. 2.) As thus folded the flap provides a selvage for the edge g of the tongue, which is the edge thereof most subjected to wear and strain, and the portion to of the flap also reinforces a part of the flap B at the point where the tongue joins the same. Of course with the form or shape of tongue shown in Figs. 1 and 2 .the flap n is formed on its lower edge with-a notch which matches with the notch in the tongue when the flap is turned down and secured in place, as in Fig. 2. The remaining half of the tongue could be reinforced in the same way, if desired; but I would have it understood that the in.- vention is not limited to a reinforced tongue. When constructed in accordance with the scale herein shown, the cover is conveniently folded at or about the dotted lines 10 and 12 in the usual manner of folding documents and legal and commercial papers.

In addition to the foregoing my invention also comprehends a folding or overlapping reinforce for the upper margin or edge of the document-sheets, and through this and the upper edge of the papers and the cover I propose to insert ordinary paper fasteners or staples in the usual way, thus utilizing this reinforce also as a part of the means for fastening the papers to the cover. As shown in Fig. 2, said reinforce is indicated at M, and consists of a folded strip of paper, linen, or other fabric and which is applied or attached to the inner and upper surface of the cover A just below the extension closing-flap B by means of an adhesive or in any other suitable way. As shown in Fig. 2, the cover is made of plain Manila paper, and the reinforce is made of paper having a strengthening-backing of linen or other fabric. As a-cheaper and more convenient means, however, of reinforcing both the sheets and cover where the fasteners are inserted I prefer to form said reinforce as an integral part of the cover itself, and this I do by stamping or cutting it out of the flap B at the time the cover is made. Thus, as shown in Fig. 3, at suitable points on opposite sides of the tongue I cut the extended portion B of the cover on the-lines m y z to form ears or flaps N, which are folded at 0 over the upper edges or margins of the sheets a, as shown in Fig. 4:. Through these ears and the said sheets and cover the fasteners 15 are inserted in the usual manner, and thus the papers are detachably secured to-the cover and the reinforce firmly bound down on their edges. If desired, I could form such reinforce of a single flap cut from the extension B and running across almost the entire width of the sheets; but I prefer the construction shown on account of the greater strength afforded to said portion when turned down to constitute the closing-flap B for the document and cover.

The fasteners may be permanently fixed in or to the cover or the cover and reinforce may simply be slitted or otherwise adapted to have the ordinary detachable fasteners inserted therethrough and through the papers, and I wish it understood that any kind of fasteners, detachable or otherwise, are within the scope of the invention and claims. I may also dispense with the tongue-reinforce, as shown in Fig. 2, but for the purpose of strengthening the cover and more securely binding and protecting the papers I prefer to use it. No means are shown herein for permanently fixing the fasteners to the cover for the reason that the invention comprehends, broadly, any means for this purpose.

It is evident from the foregoing that my improved document-cover can be manufactured at small cost and that in the use of the same in the manner set forth the document or other papers inclosed thereby will be secured in a folded flattened condition without the use of other means for that purpose.

Immaterial changes can of course be made in the construction of the cover without de parting from the spirit or scope of my invention.

What I claim is- 1. A foldable cover, adapted to have documentary papers attached thereto, said cover having a tongue at one end, and two transverse slits or openings near the opposite end for receiving the tongue when the cover is folded, said tongue havinga notch in one of its side edges, and one end of the upper slit being substantially in line with the deepest part of the notch, and the corresponding end of the other slit being extended beyond such" linel 2. A foldable document-cover having a closing-flap at one of its edges, and a protectingflap adapted to fold over and upon and form a binding for the upper edges of the documentsheets, said protecting-flap being also adapted to receive fasteners passing through the flap and the document-sheets, and the back of the cover underlying the flap for the purpose of receiving the fasteners which pass through the flap and the document-sheets. 3. Afoldabledocument-coverhavingaclosing-flap at one of its edges, a protecting-flap cut out of said cover and adapted to be turned down over and upon the edges of the document-sheets, and means for detachably securing said sheets between the cover and the protecting-flap.

4. A foldable document-coverhavinga closing-flap at one of its edges, a protecting-flap cut out of said closing-flap and adapted to be turned down over and upon the edges of the document-sheets, and means for releasably securing the protecting-flap to the documentsheets and the cover with said documentsheets between the flap and the cover.

5. A foldable document-cover having a closing-flap at one of its edges, and protecting flaps or tongues cut out of said closing-flap and adapted to fold over and upon and form 6. A foldable document-cover havinga c1os= ing-fiap at one of its edges, a tongue on said flap, means for receiving the tongue to secure the cover in a folded flattened condition, protecting flaps or tongues cut out of said closing-flap and adapted to fold over and upon and form a binding for the upper edges of the document-sheets, said protecting flaps or tongues being adapted to receive fasteners passing through the same, the document-' sheets, and the back of the cover for the purpose of securing said document-sheets to the cover.

In testimony whereof I afi'ix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' CHARLES H. POPE.

Witnesses:

M. B. POPE, M. MCMANN. 

